Oh, It's On
by Guinivere Sage
Summary: Sam is sick of the way Paulina treats her, and after one day at lunch, it's the last straw. She retaliates... BIG TIME. DxS
1. Oh, It's On

**Author's Note: Okay, so this is my main fan project now. I know it's going to seem a lot like The Bet, but that was actually almost like a spoof off this. In this story Sam is totally rocking, and she kicks Paulina's preppy butt. I'm thinking it might get on the long side but I'm excited about it, so expect rapid updates. That is, _if _I get sufficient reviews. I mentioned this in my other story, and I'll mention it here. 364 hits and only 11 reviews is sad. Just sad. So here we go. Oh, this will be fun.**

_Props to Butch Hartman for owning everything, while I remain in poor servitude to his genius._

**Chapter 1**

Sam felt someone bump into her shoulder as she walked down the hallway, causing her to drop her books. She turned angrily, ready to send a death glare to who it was. When she caught sight of long black hair and voluptuous hips receding down the hallway, her ire rose.

Paulina. She thought she ruled the school. As a freshman it hadn't been so bad, but now that they were seniors… Sam shivered. She just couldn't take it. She was sick of Paulina, Dash, and that whole group of big-headed jerks. And they called _her_ the freak. Ha!

Needless to say, Sam went to lunch in a mood to kill.

"Hey, what's up?" asked Danny as she slammed her tray down on the table.

"At least this is my last year of this crap," she growled, gesturing to the bland, card-board-like salad. Tucker swallowed a piece of his hamburger.

"Don't forget what happened last time the menu changed. A meaty ghost of terror attacked the city."

"You know what, Tuck? My memory, unlike some people's, isn't failing. Yes, I remember the incident. Thanks for reminding me how _supportive _you are of my lifestyle."

"Whoa, hold on now. Don't bite my head off! It's meat, remember?"

Sam's fork hit the table with a clatter, and she was about to lunge at Tucker before Danny grabbed her shirt and pulled her back.

"Sam!" he yelled, trying to tear her attention away from tearing Tuck apart. "What's with you?"

"Nothing," she said, and shoved a piece of lettuce into her mouth, making a face at Tuck at the same time. He just scowled and returned to his lunch.

The next ten minutes passed in absolute silence. Sam's temper was still boiling, and the friend she'd almost attacked was sulking. Danny was trying to figure out what was wrong, though thankfully he didn't mention it again. She didn't want to talk about it. She didn't even dare say the name of that witch, the one who had made her high-school life miserable. Sam knew she was overreacting, but she also knew that after years of torture, she deserved to overreact every once in a while.

They had been worst enemies even before high school. The moment "Goth girl" became friends with "nerd-o-rama" and "geek-wad," she was a target of feminine teasing. When all the other girls started getting their periods, Sam could distinctly remember overhearing Paulina say, "Oh, her? She probably won't ever get it. She's too much of a freak." It was something small, but they were young then, and things hurt worse. And, Sam had been overhearing things like that for ages already. Or how about when her breasts developed? "So she _is _a girl. Funny, I was kind of wondering." When she went to junior prom, "She's here? Wow, that took some nerve; especially looking like that!" And to the side, as if as an afterthought, "But then again, she always looks dreadful."

The feud had been going on for quite a while.

But Sam had ignored most of it, trying to take the higher road. She pretended not to hear the jibes, faked not feeling the pushes, and hid under the guise of not seeing those scathing looks. Her perseverance, along with her friends' support, was what got her through her school career.

It was unfortunate, then, when Sam realized she had to pass their table to get to the drink machine, where she needed to get a bottle of water. Great. Just great.

For a second she considered not going, just forgetting about the water. But no, no, she would go where she pleased in that cafeteria. She went to school there too; she had every right to use the vending machine. And so she got up, and walked over.

At first, everything was fine. There was excess whispering from Paulina's table, but they didn't say anything obnoxious. Sam got her water and turned around, happy to go back to her best friends. She saw Paulina's foot a second before she tripped.

The fall to the shiny cafeteria floor was like an eternity. Her stomach flipped, she tried to brace herself, and anger flared so strongly she thought that flames might shoot from her eyes. Forget the ghost powers Danny had; she was ready to kill.

And then she hit.

She had dropped her water bottle, opting instead to try and break her fall with her hands. However, her plans were foiled. The bottle leaked when it hit the floor, making her hands slide. She landed on top of the bottle and after it knocked the breath out of her, it exploded, soaking her front with water. For a second she just lay there; wet, humiliated, and in pain. Surrounded by laughter.

Tucker and Danny were by her side in an instant. They picked her up and pulled her quickly away, bringing her to the outside courtyard. Sam slid down the wall and curled up, dropping her forehead on her knees. She could feel both of her friends kneeling next to her, each with a hand on her arms. She wouldn't let the tears fall.

"I can't… believe… she did that," Sam grumbled, her voice strained. Danny looked concernedly to Tucker.

"She had no right," he soothed, squeezing her shoulder. "Paulina's always been like that, though."

Sam looked up. "Finally realizing it, are you?"

Danny chuckled. "Let's just say I don't like seeing my best friend embarrassed in front of the whole school."

"Thanks for grabbing me in there, guys." She sighed. "I was considering not getting up."

"What are friends for?" asked Tucker quietly. Sam smiled weakly.

"You're both great. I think I'm okay, now. I'll just be a minute."

They nodded and left her alone.

What Paulina had done this time was lower than low. When it was private, Sam could deal. But that shallow "queen" brought the public into this. Sam would get her back. She smiled, thinking to herself.

_Oh, it's on._


	2. Whoa, Sam!

_Author's Note: Here we go with chapter 2, "Whoa, Sam!" I think a lot of you know what's about to happen, but that won't decrease the excitement when it does. I read this chapter to my friend (who's annoyed with my DP obsession) and even she liked it, so I'm sending a challenge to my readers._** _NOTICE: THIS IS IMPORTANT!_** _I want FIFTEEN new reviews for this chapter, and chapter 3 won't be coming until I get them. I've already had 83 hits and only 6 reviews, and I'm not taking it any more. If you want more updates, you have to review. Sorry, but that's the way it goes._

_PS- I'm planning on this being a 10 chapter story, or at least that's what I've worked out with the plot-line so far. Those of you who hate Paulina with a passion will be really pleased. Those who feel sorry for her, I apologize ahead of time. Sam is coming back with a vengeance. Look out for it in the coming chapters!

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_

"What is taking her so long?"

Tucker tapped his foot impatiently on the imported tile floor in the Manson's foyer. Sam was really late getting ready for school, and if they didn't hurry up, they wouldn't make homeroom. Danny's car idled in the long driveway outside.

"Do you really think I know?" Danny asked, almost as annoyed as Tuck was. Of course, Danny wouldn't mind escaping Dash's attempted beating before class, but he didn't want a detention for being late.

"Hey, Danny. Do you think maybe you could…?"

"Phase up there and see what's going on? No. I won't invade Sam's privacy like that."

Tuck made a disapproving noise in his throat. "Goody two-shoes."

Just then a door opened at the top of the stairs. Tucker grunted and spun on his heel, ready to walk out, but someone trapped his arm in a death grip. He stopped in mid-step, preparing to chew Danny out. However, when he turned and saw the look on his friend's face, he paused. Danny was staring at something as if it had just caused the world to cease spinning. His eyes were wide, his mouth slightly open, his cheeks redder than usual. Danny's grip on Tucker's arm tightened again.

"Tucker…" he muttered quietly out the side of his mouth. "Am I still standing up?"

"Yeah…" his friend answered slowly.

"Good. Keep me that way."

Unable to bear the suspense any longer, Tuck turned around. His breath caught in his throat.

It was, possibly, the most provocative thing Sam had ever worn. The top was a light lavender color, and the bottom hem stopped just short of revealing her breasts, clinging instead to her slim torso. The only visible support was a spaghetti-strap halter. Sam's skirt was deep purple, starting low on her hips and ending high up her thighs. The entire strip of fabric was no more than eleven inches wide. That, combined with her shoes, made her legs look considerably longer than normal. The boots were unlike any Sam had ever worn before. Black and knee-length, they fit her calves like a second skin and balanced on three-inch spike heels. Her hair was down—unusual in itself—and framed her face prettily. The most interesting part was that—aside from the boots—the outfit was very much like what Paulina wore every day.

She came down the stairs and grabbed her bag, then swayed calmly to stand before them.

"So?" she asked, turning in a circle. "What do you think?"

"I think you're bordering on the line of indecent exposure," said Tucker. "In fact, those breasts may even have crossed it."

"Thanks!" she said, smiling wickedly.

"Why…" was all Danny could say coherently.

"To get back at Paulina, of course. She humiliated me, so I'm going to steal her thunder."

"You're going to steal more than that," Tuck muttered before turning and heading for the door. "Come on Danny. I'll drive so you can come out of this catatonia."

Danny blushed. "I'm fine," he said simply, but it took him a minute to tear his eyes from Sam. He couldn't believe he'd known her for so long without ever realizing what great skin she had…

At school, people took notice. Girls made comments on her hair, "I never noticed how smooth it is," or, "You should wear it down more often." Guys saw… the other things. By the time second period rolled around, she had four requests to sit with her at lunch and two potential dates for the coming weekend. Soon, Danny was glaring at any guy who came within five feet of his best friend… Except Tucker, of course, who chose to keep his distance, preferring not to see Sam in such a seductive atmosphere. It creeped him out.

But possibly the best moment of the day came during math. Sam sat two seats to the left of Paulina, with Dash in the middle. He thought she didn't notice, but kept sneaking glances at Sam's legs for half an hour. When Sam finally caught his eye, she smiled and licked her lips, her eyes saying things words never could. Dash couldn't stop staring then, and when Paulina saw that, her scowl could have reached China. In the end, she actually had to pinch her boyfriend—twice—to get his attention from the "freak".

And in the hallway, it was Paulina to drop her books when Sam bumped into her.

Danny watched the whole thing from a distant perspective. He couldn't seem to get over Sam's change. He had never seen how much potential she had, even though there had been times in the past when he wondered if there was something between them. The two flirted back and forth on a regular basis, but in Danny's mind it was just in a friendly way. Sam didn't see him as anything more. She couldn't. Could she?

Nah, there was no way.

But that didn't keep Danny from being annoyed when the guys stared at her. His jealousy was unwarranted and inappropriate, but it happened anyway. At lunch he barely controlled himself. Sitting down made Sam's skirt rise almost to the point of being revealing, which drew Danny's attention enough, but the fact that his leg kept brushing against hers didn't help. Soon, he stopped trying to avoid it. Not long after that, he was using every excuse to touch her, in any way. Waist, leg, arm, ankle, hand… it didn't matter.

Hey, can you blame a guy?

He had, he suddenly realized, the hottest girl in school sitting next to him at lunch. He turned to her, unable to resist—again.

"Sit still, Sam, there's something in your hair."

She paused and he reached out, picking imaginary fuzz from her dark tresses. Out the corner of his eye, he saw Tucker send him a look, but ignored it. He shook his hand as if ridding it of the offending fluff.

"Is it gone?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, and brushed her hair behind her ear with his fingertips. He smiled as she blushed, and turned back to his lunch.

A few minutes later, the bell rang. Sam dashed ahead to her locker, not daring to stay in the halls too long lest someone try to get another date out of her. Tucker caught up with Danny, elbowing him.

"That was, possibly, the oldest trick in the book."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"'Sit still, Sam, there's something in your hair?' Come on! I've been at this longer than you, buddy. I know an excuse to touch a girl when I see one." Tuck paused, looking his friend up and down. "I always knew you liked her."

Before Danny could object he was gone, lost in the crowded hallway. When he wanted to, Tucker could disappear as well as Danny Phantom.

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review responses:

**SetsuntaMew: **Thanks, and I'm glad you enjoyed it!

**PhantomLover: **Yes, I'm continuing, of course! How could I deny the public?

**sam manson rulez: **I'll try to update as much as I can, while keeping my stand on the review thing. Seriously, isn't it upsetting?

**Hina Beetles Fenton: **Yes, the "Goth Girl" can do a lot, especially later when... oh wait, can't menion that! (smacks forehead) duh! Yes, I saw how she hugged Danny in PR, and I seethed with anger, not only at her but at Danny, too. He betrayed us in that moment. I mean, "He's a cool guy, you should totally make out with him" and "Seriously, you need to wrap your mind around 'Paulina, _Fenton._'?' ARGH! (shakes fist) Although, I'm looking forward to the hour-long-special this friday. I'm hearing rumors that Valerie and Sam havea little... discussion.

**Eternity's Shadow: **I love that name... Eternity's Shadow... can I use it for a story or something? Anyway, I like the anger between these two girls, too. As for mean girls, I have to admit that some of my inspiration comes from there. I'm not a malicious person, andI needed some help in coming up with the things Paulina does. Anyway, happy you liked it!

**Mike Jones frum da dirty south: **Be overjoyed, I'm updating. And yes, I rock.(flips hair) But I still cower in the amazingness of Butch Hartman and all his glory. XD

**Thanks to all my readers and reviewers for making my life worthwhile!**


	3. Nasty Girl

**Author's Note: You guys are amazing. I gave you a task, and you filled it to more than capacity. I got my fifteen reviews, all in one day! Actually most were within the first three hours of posting, which makes me very happy. And, since SilverSummerMoon's review counted as ten, I guess I really got 24 reviews… Thanks so much for listening and obeying my overblown author's ego. Now that I've made my point, I'm setting the minimum review per chapter to eight. Yeah, not even ten. I'm a softie, what can I say? I'm just hoping y'all will tell your DP fanatic friends about me (puppy-dog eyes). But enough about that. I know you all are squealing about the developments last chapter between Danny and Sam, but this chapter is jam-packed with clues for our prospective couple. Look for it as you read; Danny's all over the place dropping subconscious hints. Oh, I love writing. (Dreamy sigh…) On to chapter 3, "Nasty Girl."

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The next day, Sam's short-shorts scorched Danny's eyeballs. Frayed, skin-tight, and bright red, they screamed for attention… and got it.

She had absolutely every guy in school drooling over her, even the lowliest freshmen—now, _that_ was funny. One short but brave 9th grader had even gotten the nerve to brush past her, copping a feel of what lay under the shorts. Sam had been annoyed, as had Danny, but Tucker thought it was genius, and wouldn't stop laughing.

However, there was an occurrence that day that truly _was _funny. The cause of our trio's laughter? Paulina. Before, she had managed to pull off the sexy-but-classy look, what Sam had only just begun. But in trying to out-do the freak, Paulina had only succeeded in making herself look trashy. _Real trashy._ To the point where Sam started calling her Nasty-P.

And that was funny. Funnier? Nasty-P still paled in comparison to Sam. There was, it seemed, a new queen.

A queen who refused her crown. As many guys came up to her, she turned them all down. As much as the girls worshiped the ground she walked on, she set them straight. As much as the school wanted to set her on a pedestal, she kept her feet firmly on the ground. That was why, as he watched all this happening, Danny respected her even more.

At lunch, Tucker amused himself by counting the people eating salads.

"Forty-two, and I'm still going!" he announced after only a few minutes. Sam smiled.

"As much as I enjoy making a difference and achieving my goals for people to see the merits of vegetarianism, I wish it wasn't because of my looks. Kind of defeats the purpose, right?"

"Of course not," Danny said. "Not when you're only wearing the clothes to make a statement. You're protesting the plasticity of America's teenagers, and that's a noble stance."

Sam had paused, fork halfway to her mouth. She stared at Danny, dumbfounded.

"You actually listen when I talk?"

He laughed and guided the salad the rest of the way to her lips. "Sometimes, yeah. Only when I get tired of Tucker's computer-speak," he teased.

"Seventy-nine!" their geeky friend announced.

Unperceived among the chuckles and nudges, Paulina approached.

"Danny!" she said, making him jump. He turned around with a quick grimace then quickly masked it.

"Hey, uh, Paulina."

"I was wondering, Danny, if you'd go to the Nasty Burger with me later," she said in sugary tones, shrugging her shoulders so her breasts lifted.

"Um… er…" Danny fumbled, trying to find a way to turn her down without being mean. He really did feel bad… kind of… because of the way her admirers turned on her. He didn't want to go, but he didn't get the chance to say no.

"Wonderful!" Paulina gushed. "Pick me up at five on Friday, I'll be waiting." She blew an air-kiss at him before turning and flouncing away.

Sam was looking at him strangely. "Way to be with Nasty-P, Dan."

"I guess some things never change," Tucker said pointedly.

"I didn't want to go!" Danny protested, his eyes wide. "I was about to turn her down!"

"Then why didn't you?"

"She trapped me before I could. Come on, you guys know I don't like her anymore."

"I'm not so sure," Sam said. "Although, it would amaze me if you do, after all that's happened between her and me."

"I don't. Trust me."

As he said it a faint mist issued from his mouth, and he groaned.

"Ghost sense?" Tucker questioned.

"Yeah. Come on, let's go."

They shot out of the cafeteria, trying to find a place where Danny could transform. Before they did, however, they found the ghost.

Desiree, the wish-granting ghost from years ago, was floating over Paulina. Paulina seemed scared, but interested at the same time. Before Danny could even go ghost, she made a wish.

"I wish I was more beautiful than Samantha Manson!"

"So you wish it, so shall it be," was Desiree's answer, spoken softly, with just a hint of evil. A white light surrounded Paulina, momentarily blinding Danny, Tucker, and Sam. When the light receded, Desiree was gone, but Paulina was still there.

At least, it looked like Paulina.

She was standing casually, actually emitting her own kind of ethereal light. Her hair literally glittered, slipping down her back like waves of raven silk. Her face was perfectly symmetrical, lips fuller than before, eyes a little brighter. Her breasts had grown at least a cup size, and they were practically spilling out of her tight t-shirt. Paulina's hips were rounded and smooth, leading into trim, shapely legs that ended in dainty feet. She turned, smiling a million-dollar-smile that stopped a few passing juniors in their tracks.

Tucker was close to hyperventilating. Sam pushed him, snapping him only slightly out of the Paulina-induced stupor. She sighed, rolling her eyes. "I can see the headlines now," she muttered. "'Nasty-P Turns Beauty Queen Once More.' Sub-title? 'Wish Granted Gets Girl Gorgeous'." Sam turned around, prepared to break Danny of his daydreams, only to find him alert and staring at her. "Danny?" she asked quietly.

"I don't see that much of a difference. And honestly, isn't it sad she had to use ghost magic to be, quote un-quote, more beautiful than you?" Danny smiled. Sam blushed. "Come on; let's get Tucker to stop drooling. Somehow…"

* * *

For the first time in known history, there were two queens in Casper High Court. 

The line was drawn almost perfectly down the middle. Those who cared about opinions and substance _on top of _beauty stuck close to Sam, still keeping her busy avoiding them. Those who were shallow and had next to no brain activity returned to Paulina like starving dogs to a piece of meat—however rotten it was. And, amazingly, Danny was fighting with Tucker instead of Sam.

"How can you be drawn to her? She's so shallow!"

"Danny, you don't get it. Paulina is _hot_. You used to realize that, too. It makes me wonder about this hold Sam has on you." Tucker smiled evilly, because Sam was listening. Danny's eyes shifted nervously to her and back to Tuck.

"Don't change the subject. Paulina is using her ghost-given beauty just so she can have admirers and attention. Sam's using her _true _beauty for a real reason!" he shouted in outburst, stopping in mid-step as they were walking from the parking lot to the school. Tucker and Sam stopped, too. Tuck's eyebrows had shot to Mars (coincidentally, where he's from), and Sam's mouth dropped slightly.

"Danny…" Sam said quietly. "Did you just call me _truly beautiful_?"

He blanched, finally realizing his slip. Tucker was smiling hugely, practically beaming. "I… uh… yeah, I guess," Danny replied. "You've always been beautiful, Sam. You just haven't really realized it until recently."

Behind Sam, Tucker made "aw" motions with his mouth and batted his eyelashes quickly. Dan glared at him then turned back to Sam, trying to gauge her reaction. She smiled.

"That's sweet, Danny. Thank you." She rounded on Tucker, who jumped. "_You _need to stop bugging him! At least he's supportive of me. Go off to Nasty-P if you want, but don't get mad at Danny for knowing where his loyalties lie."

She walked off, Danny following. He shot a smirk over his shoulder at Tuck.

"But he started it!" the geek yelled after them. When no answer returned he frowned and pulled out his PDA.

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**PhantomLover:** Thanks, and yes he is! Egad, Danny's a cutie. 

**SilverSummerMoon: **I know, it's an injustice that I'm ignored so badly (yeah right). I'm soooo happy that you like the story so much, it's one of my favorites; "Imperfection" and "Good and Harm" are right behind it. And thanks so much for the motivational speech, it really made me smile. I know I don't need the reviews to be cool, it's just nice to be commended for something I do, or at least given advice if it's bad. Plus, I go nuts if I don't figure out what people think. (Insecurity, I guess)

**BlackIcyRoses: **Here's your update! Wow, you're hyper… I like it!

**Kats02980416: **Yes, you're right. Sam is awesome, and she always had it in her. Please know that your review helped shape the last scene of this story (notice that Danny's argument is slightly parallel to yours). Of course, I couldn't have Danny say that Sam's "flaunting it," she'd kick his buttocks, but you get the idea.

**SetsuntaMew: **You think it's funny? I'm funny? YAY! Haha my favorite line was when Danny had to ask Tucker to keep him from falling down… I don't know why, just had to put it in there. And don't worry about the strangeness. There have been many-a-time when, while reading a story, I've squealed loud enough to wake the dead. That reminds me, one time after I found out one of my fav characters wasn't going to die in a story, I actually got so excited my mom thought someone _had actually _escaped death. Yeah… I can get hyper…

**Hina Beetles Fenton: **I'm getting more and more excited about Friday. I can't wait, honestly, 'cause I'm going to Six Flags that day, too. As for Paulina, well… she gets what she deserves. (Thinks forward to Chapter 4, where ever DxS shipper will scream until their head explodes, shooting DP ectoplasmic goo on the walls)

**HPhantom: **Thanks! And don't worry, I'm keeping up!

**nebodiesnobody: **Thanks for reviewing, and I'm looking forward to it, too!

**Squirt-Anne: **Well, here's your answer on what Paulina's going to do about it, but now a new question: what's Sam's next move? And the "real" romance starts next chapter! Woot!

**ChemicalHappiness: **Yeah, gotta love the DS awkward moments. Thanks tons for reviewing!

**The Griminus: **Yeah, I wanted to show just how deep in it Danny is. Like, almost over his head deep. He's got it bad.

**Mike Jones frum da dirty south: **Wee! I'm excited you're back. Yes, many people seem to enjoy that Danny was looking for excuses to touch Sam, as that's the most obvious show of affection from him in this chapter.

**Dun Dun Duncan: **Thanks for reviewing, I hope you like the rest of the story!

**Paige Angel Lenaigh: **You witch, what are you doing here? I'm surprised you're not my thirteenth review. That would be so suited. Jeez. Anyway, thanks.

**SamFentonPhantom: **Yes, Sam and Danny truly are made for each other. I hope Butch Hartman shares our view.

Okay, I have to mention this. The big thing in the Harry Potter network these days is an interview with JK Rowling, clearly and bluntly, almost brutally, stating that Ron and Hermione will be the "it" couple, not Harry and Hermione (if you want to see it, e-mail me). I know that comes as news to a lot of people, but I've seen it coming. Especially after the sixth book. Anyway, I suppose that's what fanfictions are for, right? Just because the HxHr thing isn't happening, doesn't mean that I can't write it that way. However, know that a few of my fan-fictions will be converting. Maybe not so much RxHr, but maybe a little HarryxGinny. I know you DP lovers don't really care, but for my HP readers it's a must. Also, don't think I'm coming off this DP high. I'm enjoying it way too much.

Love you all. Remember, fluff heals the soul.

--GS


	4. Excuses, Excuses

**Author's Note: This is, by far, the longest chapter yet. I had SO MUCH FUN writing this one, you have no idea. I hope you like it as much while you're reading it. Anyway, you all should really know that I'm running this story a chapter ahead of itself. As I post this, I already have chapter 5 written, just waiting for my minimum number of reviews to come in. We're nearing the half-way mark, so get ready for some major developments. Also, I have to say that I'll only be responding personally to reviews I get before I post the next chapter. It would get way too confusing trying to back-track. And, before I leave you to read, one more thing. You guys are all totally awesome. Thanks for your amazing reviews and responses to my stories; they make me warm and fuzzy inside.

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**Chapter 4- Excuses, Excuses**

An hour and a half later, Sam was still smiling. Danny had stuck up for her, and he was so sweet about it, too!

Whoa… wait a second.

Since when did Sam Manson, lover of all that is strange and nonconformist, gush over a guy? Never, that's when. So why was she doing it with Danny?

Yeah, there had been times when their getting together seemed almost inevitable. After Ember's spell, after the first fake-out make-out, after the _second _fake-out make-out (which only Sam knew about, thank goodness… memory wishes can be good for some things, she supposed), even a little after she and Danny danced together. But things had always smoothed over, returning back to the comfortable friendship they had shared for what seemed like forever. That's the way Sam preferred it… right? Right.

Totally. Suuure.

She laid her head against her locker after first period, sighing. Did she want to be with Danny? Maybe. Okay, yeah. Yes, she wanted to be with Danny. But it could ruin the friendship!

_That's what you've been saying for years,_ whispered a voice in her head.

Great, now there were voices in her head. Just great.

_You know I'm right._

Jeez, shut up! She couldn't be with Danny because if things didn't work out, their friendship might be done for.

_Do you honestly believe that? You and Danny have been friends for so long; do you really think that one mishap would break your bond? If so, that's sad. Get it together, girl! Going out with ghost-kid can only progress your relationship. It's not going to fall apart if something goes wrong. And that's a big if._

She slammed her locker shut, at the same time mentally blocking the annoying voice.

_So now I'm right AND annoying!_

Shut UP!

* * *

Unfortunately, her morning went downhill from there. She couldn't pay attention in science and managed to spill a bunch of ammonia, which made a great, big, fat stink, and earned her a great, big, fat C. She felt like Danny. 

After that, she was blocked from going to third period by Nasty-P's posse, who all snarled at her as she walked by. She could have dealt, but a sophomore stuck up for his choice of queen and ended up getting shoved in a locker—he was a small sophomore. After getting him out and apologizing for her classmates' rudeness, she still felt bad, and zoned out. That led to the math teacher calling on her and catching her off-guard, which then proceeded to her not knowing the answer to the question on the board. That meant disapproving glares for the next hour, which Sam wasn't used to getting.

And the whole time, Tucker was uncharacteristically quiet. That meant he was up to something.

Lunch was a blessed reprieve. Sure, she got asked out on a few dates on the way there, but they all went quietly when she turned them down.

That was another thing that was wearing her out lately. Around every corner was someone lurking, ready to ask her to the movies or the Nasty Burger or the ice cream shop. She had even gotten a few offers to guys' houses. Those she immediately turned down, without even considering. She was _way _too smart to make that mistake.

She refused to get sucked up in the high of being popular. That's what bugged her so much about Paulina, besides that she was cruel… and manipulative… and shallow… and self-absorbed… and…

_And Danny used to like her._

And Sam really needed to stop talking to herself.

Anyway, lunch was a blessed and welcome reprieve. It was a beautiful day, so most kids were eating outside. She sat down across from Tucker, who was digging in enthusiastically to meat-loaf surprise. He looked up and smiled, tiny bits of browned meat stuck between his teeth. Sam gagged.

"Do I even need to say it anymore?"

"No," he replied around another mouthful.

"Ugh. Swallow, at least."

He did so. "Listen, Sam, I'm sorry about the whole Paulina thing. It's just… I can't see you in that way. It's too weird."

"I understand," she admitted. "To be honest, I think I would be more than a little scared if you were on my side of the devotees."

"How are you handling it? This past week has gone by fast."

"It really has. Sometimes the attention is nice, but it lost its glamour fast. For a girl who's spent most of her life in the shadows, this is a brutal culture shock."

"Look at it this way. At least you've finally got Danny bowing at your feet."

She sent him a reprimanding look. "I told you to leave him alone." Then she looked around. "Where is Danny, anyway?"

Tucker paused a moment, and Sam thought he might have been grimacing. His expression was smoothed in and instant, though, and he silently nodded in the direction behind her, immediately returning to his lunch.

Curious, Sam turned around, and anger flared almost instantly. Danny was standing against a tree, talking to Paulina. Nasty-P was practically waving her boobs in his face, and she was leaning just a little too close. Sam realized it was Friday; they had their date that night. Sam got to her feet, ready to rip them both to shreds, but paused. Danny said he didn't like Paulina anymore.

Sam looked closer, and sure enough, Dan had quite an uncomfortable expression on his face. He was actually edging around the tree, trying to get away, but Paulina had him cornered. Whatever it was that clenched at her heart when she saw them together relaxed, replaced instead by feminine hatred.

Paulina was using Danny to get to Sam, like she had so many times before. It was kind of obvious that even if they weren't going out, Sam and Danny cared about each other. Paulina was taking advantage of that, knowing Sam would see them together. This was her way of getting back at Sam for lessening her social life.

Sam had to retaliate. She couldn't let Nasty-P get the last word. However, this situation called for cunning and style, not brute force and anger. She calmed herself, silently forming her plan in her mind. She'd put Paulina in her place and save Danny from the date he didn't want all in one stroke.

Smoothing the skirt of her sun-dress, Sam walked calmly to where her best friend and worst enemy were standing. When Danny saw her his eyes lit with relief, and Sam knew she was doing the right thing. Her slim form slipped neatly between Paulina's and Danny's, and her arms swung naturally around his neck.

"Here you are," she crooned before pressing her lips to his.

Dan was stiff from shock, but Sam didn't care. She slanted their mouths together and kissed him with everything she had, silently begging him to get the hint. For Sam, fireworks were literally exploding behind her closed eyelids, and something that sounded vaguely like bells and whistles were going off in her head. She kissed Danny harder and in a second his hands were at her waist, pulling her flush against him. His fingers touched her with a possessiveness Sam marveled at, and it made her practically melt into him. After too few moments of bliss, however, she pulled away. She turned and looked at Nasty-P, almost as if in afterthought.

"Oh, and Paulina? Danny won't be seeing you tonight." She turned back to her best friend and whispered, "Kiss me again."

"What?" he asked.

"Kiss me again," she urged. "And make it convincing."

In the next moment, his mouth captured hers. And, as if on cue, the fireworks exploded in time with the bell-like music. He licked lightly across her lips and she accepted him, their tongues meeting to dance and duel. Sam couldn't believe it but as he kissed her, tiny shivers ran continually down her back and her knees weakened until she had to hang on to him for support.

Danny lifted himself from the kiss and she was about to speak, but before she could, his tongue touched her neck. A whole new set of feelings erupted and she moaned, her eyes fluttering closed. He kissed and licked little whorls from her jaw to her collarbone, occasionally pausing to breathe cool air across her hyper-sensitive skin.

He was going way above and beyond the call of duty.

_I told you so, _said a tiny voice in Sam's head. This time, she didn't bother arguing.

She was concentrating on other things…

* * *

When Dan and Sam finally made it back to Tucker, he was staring at them in wide-eyed shock. He was so silent it worried them, and they mentioned it. He shook his head. 

"That one skated right past unusual and built a house in the realm of disturbing. I never, ever, want to see you two do that in front of me again. Got it?" He didn't wait for an answer. "At least now it's out in the open. Samantha Manson and Daniel Fenton are a couple."

Before he could react, Sam had punched his arm, hard.

"Don't call me Samantha!" she scolded. "And anyway, I only did it to save Danny and exact my revenge."

"Excuses, excuses," Tucker muttered, sitting up again. As Sam settled down to her lunch, oblivious to the lingering stares around her, Tuck snuck a glance at his half-ghost friend.

Danny was gazing at Sam, a blatantly hungry look in his eye. Tucker was startled. How bad did Danny really want Sam? Had Tuck underestimated him? He frowned. Sam may think their make-out session was another fake-out, but it looked like Danny had other ideas.

* * *

**Okay, I just gotta mention this again. You. Guys. Rock. I wrote the other A/N before I saw thefull response to the chapter, and it's just amazing. I posted that chapter 2:30 this morning, and I've already got nine reviews for this chapter and others for other chapters, and it's only noon! You reviewers rock my socks, you really do. I love you all, and thanks tons for all your support. Luvs and kotex!**

**SetsuntaMew: **Yes, and it's update time again! Woot! I'm ecstatic you're so excited about my story, that's one of the beauties of writing, knowing that your work made someone smile. As for your parents taking your laptop… hide it! Shhh! Yes, Nasty-P is just the perfect name for Paulina, don't you think? I needed Sam to stick to her character, and that just seems the kind of thing Miss Manson would come up with. And yes, Fluff Heals the Soul! I'm seriously working on making that a catch-phrase. And with all the fluff I've been reading and putting out lately, my soul is good till Kingdom Come. XD

**sam manson rulez: **Yeah, Sam is the shiznit. Go Sam!

**Yinyang-shadow: **YAY! MY FIRST "UPDATE OR ELSE" THREAT! You made my day, yingyang, so be happy. And if I haven't done so by the time you read this, I'll be over to review on your story. Woo kindred spirits!

**Squirt-Anne: **Is this "real" enough for you? Hehe.

**crazybluephantom: **The e-mail is on the way, no fear. It took me some time to find it, too, as I originally heard about it on Quills and Spills, and just had to see it. Can you believe the interviewers called us delusional? JK chose not to, but really! (pouts)

**nebodiesnobody: **Yes, it's a tragedy that H/Hr won't be happening, but I'm slowly coping. My therapist says the obsession was unhealthy, anyway XD -.-;

**SilverSummerMoon: **I totally agree with you that beauty has nothing to do with breast size. But you must understand that this is Desiree we're talking about, who is obsessed with material things and outward appearance. Plus, there's the whole "beauty on the inside" deal, which will come into play later. Here's your update, ASAP

**sam+danny4eva: **I'm really not sure if I should up the rating or not. I need to go back and look over the guidelines, I might do it. Thanks for the heads up. And yeah, I always thought Harry and Hermione were the best, but I think I can deal with Harry and Ginny. At least Ginny's got some fire in her… did you read the sixth book? Cheese & crackers, that girl has a mouth.

**Sailor Attitude: **Thanks! Here's your update!

_**Fluff Heals the Soul!**_

--GS


	5. Rumors

**Author's Note: This is a much more serious chapter than the previous four, probably the most serious out of all of them. This is the turning point of the story, where the relationship thing gets shoved forward, and Paulina takes revenge on Sam for making her look stupid and having a steamy make-out session in the middle of lunch. Heh… Anyway, the next one is totally Sam-kicks-ass, so be on the lookout!

* * *

**

**Chapter 5- Rumors**

Danny was in a world of his own. He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling blankly, not really seeing it at all.

He had made out with his best friend in front of the whole school.

That phrase kept running through his mind, boggling it. He had been relieved when Sam showed up to break him from Paulina's grasp, but what she did… it had shaken him to the core. He wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing.

Yeah, kissing Sam had been one of the most amazing experiences of his life. It had knocked him back on his heels, stunning him from the lips down. While he was there, he wanted to stay there, with Sam falling into him like she needed him in order to stand. It was awesome.

But at the same time there was something… not right about it. She had done it to help him out and get back and "Nasty-P", not because she wanted him. A tiny but noticeable change had come over Sam in the past week, and it was that which gave him pause. The outfits, the scheming, the attitude… it was interesting and sexy, but not Sam's style. Sam had always been sexy and interesting in her _own _way. It was that individuality that made her who she was, and it was one of the things Danny loved about her.

So what was he going to do? He finally had the chance to get together with Sam, under the guise of this fight, but did he want to? He finally understood how Sam had felt during Ember's spell. Caught.

Danny grunted and swung himself out of bed. He stood before the window, one fist braced against it. He wanted to hit something, needed to take out his frustration. It was then that Danny spotted the Box Ghost zipping through the air.

_Always there when I need him,_ Danny thought, smiling and going ghost.

* * *

What was she doing?

Sam frowned, staring at the clothes at the foot of her bed. Bright skirts, revealing tops, sexy accessories. When had she ever been the kind of girl to do this? She picked up a tank-top, one of the hottest and most popular things in the stores. Where was the individuality?

_Missing_.

Perfect; the voice was back.

_You know you missed me._

Not really. Actually, right then she wanted to be alone.

_No can do. I'm inside your head, remember? Hard to get rid of, you see. But listen, you know this isn't you. You finally kissed Danny, but why did you do it? Was it because you like him or because you hate Paulina?_

Hadn't she said, numerous times, to shut up?

_Yeah, but if you were me, would you listen? Wait… you are me… but that's beside the point. You need me; otherwise you'll continue this charade._

Maybe she wanted to continue it. She was popular, beautiful, and everyone wanted her.

_But do you even want you anymore?_

That sounded SO wrong.

_You know what I mean. How do you even put up with yourself like this? You need to get a grip on yourself… the you that used to have the love of a certain half-a._

What did it mean, "used to"?

But for once, the voice didn't answer.

That was okay. Sam wasn't shallow or misguided like Paulina and the rest of her crew. Samantha Manson had substance, dammit! She was going to go to school on Monday like she had the past week, playing Paulina like the gilded witch she was and…

And trying to tell Danny, subtly, that she was in love with him.

Oh, yeah. _That'll _be easy. Right.

* * *

On Monday, Tucker decided to walk to school. He had a car and could get a ride with Danny and Sam, but he wanted to be alone, and the fresh air helped him think.

Tuck was the only one who could really watch this situation with any objectivity. Sam was the one going nuts over getting Paulina, and Danny was lovesick beyond recognition. So, the thought was left to Tucker. He sighed, not really sure what to do about his friends. They obviously liked each other, and had since 9th grade. Probably even before then.

But Sam was too focused on what she was doing, and Danny could never make decisions.

Maybe he shouldn't have set Danny up like that. The response to it was so different from what he expected.

That morning after his spat with Danny, Tucker had sent Paulina an anonymous text message. "Want to get to Sam? Go after Danny." It was simple but clear, and Paulina had gotten the hint. Tucker wanted Sam to get jealous, maybe realize she still had feelings for Danny even after all these years. Her _actual _reaction had made Tucker's mouth drop.

He shook his head, walking slowly up the school steps. His senior year was certainly an interesting one, at least.

As Tuck stepped into the main hallway, his eyes widened a low groan found its way out of his throat. He dropped his head, barely able to look.

"Oh, no…"

* * *

There were posters. They covered the windows, plastered the walls, and overtook the school. Each one saying the same thing: "Sam Sucks! Rich Witch Must Fall!"

Some were worse than others. Someone had found out about Sam's wealth, and there were pictures of her bowling in her basement or talking to maids and butlers, all with captions stating that Sam was the kind of person to sit on a throne, while the "little people" crawled at her feet. Others had pictures of her kiss with Danny, some of which were digitally altered to place her in different clothes and with different guys. Those messages were clear, saying simply at the bottom, "How easy can she be?" There was even a few with her hand on a sophomore's shoulder, saying, "Lower than low."

Tucker, Sam, and Danny stood together, staring at one of the brighter displays. Danny's face was murderous, he looked like he wanted to rip someone a new one. Tucker was thinking that the quality of the photo altering was actually pretty good, but he wasn't about to say that. He knew where to draw the line. Sam… Sam was blank.

Danny's arm wrapped around her shoulder at the same time Tuck grabbed her hand, both simultaneously lending support. But Sam just stood completely still, back straight, mouth thin. When her eyes had run over the same line of mud-slinging four times, she knew she was in trouble.

She turned, breaking away from her two best friends. Sam walked slowly and calmly, barely managing to contain the flood of feelings that was suddenly rushing through her. She made her way through the crowds of people that had clogged the hallways, staring at her and the posters. They parted for her like the Red Sea, but she barely noticed. There was one person she wanted to see, and one only.

When she was finally standing in front of Dash, who was in front of Paulina, she looked up. Her eyes caught his and she was surprised to see that he actually seemed sorry. There was a soft emotion on his face that startled her, but she couldn't worry about it then. He stepped aside, and Sam was faced with Paulina. Nasty-P had the smuggest smile on her lips. She smirked at Sam, daring her to say something.

Sam paused, simply staring at the person who had made her life hell. She took a deep breath, spit directly in Paulina's face, and walked calmly out of school.

* * *

**Ack! So many reviews to respond to!**

**Squirt-Anne: **Hah! I told you it was real!

**Kats02980416: **Wow. Those were two really long reviews. You see, they're in their senior year. I mentioned that back in chapter one, Sam said, "at least I only have one more year of this crap." I know that review was from chapter 3, but I figured I should clarify. Anyway, the whole "beauty on the inside" thing is going to come in big in chapter 8. Yeah, the emotions between Sam and Danny are really reeling… As you can see. (looks up at this chapter)

**crazybluephantom: **Yeah, actually. They did in front of basically the whole school. Hehe…

**JNgirl: **At the moment, Sam is a major rival to Nasty-P. But, as I've been saying with Kats, Paulina's beauty is only skin deep (she's so shallow, probably not even all the way through that). Sam has inner beauty, which is why Desiree's spell didn't work as well as Paulina thought it would.

**Hina Beetles Fenton: **Yes, they kissed with tongue! Ahhhhh! Anyway, yes, can't wait till Friday, and here's your chapter!

**Inu luvz Kag not that claypot: **Yes, they kissed, but you collapsed? Are you okay? Here, have some ice… And wee! Another person who I've converted! FLUFF HEALS THE SOUL!

**dongsang: **Wow, that's one of the best reviews I've gotten! Long and detailed, that's the way I like 'em. Anyway, response, yeah… Yes, it is ironic that Sam has made it to the top rung of the social monarchy. I think that's the humor, while her personal feelings toward it are the drama. She's confused by her new status and uneasy, and that's what's caused so many problems within herself. Yes, Sam's hot. Damn hot. That's how she pulled this whole thing off! And Danny's being OOC, it was necessary. Too much brushes off the real Danny's shoulders for the right drama to come out.

**Musicgirl101: **Glad you love it! I love writing it!

**phantomwriter92: **Their feelings are the most important part!

**BuffytheVampslayer: **I'm still writing, don't worry!

**Snea: **I think my dreams of making "fluff heals the soul" a catch-phrase are starting to be realized! Yay! Go me!

**_FLUFF HEALS THE SOUL!_**

**--GS**


	6. Payback

**Author's Note: HOLY SHNIKIES THIS CHAPTER IS LONG! I didn't even realize it until I made the separate chapter file and saw it was more than four pages long. Most of my chapters are 2-3 pages, so if that tells you how long this one is… Anyway, THIS is the Sam-kicks-butt chapter. Last one was just… bitter and anger and Paulina-must-die. This one is, I hope, a little funnier and light, especially toward the end. All you Tuckers out there, enjoy the details.

* * *

**

**Chapter 6- Payback**

Some people read to calm down. Some punch pillows. Some even burn things.

Sam took showers.

She took a deep, gasping breath, letting the steamy air fill her lungs. She let it out slowly, tilting her face so the water pulsed across her forehead and closed eyelids. She turned in a full circle, smoothing her hair into a slick sheet, and then stood. She stood completely still, leaning against the side of the shower, and felt each drop of water hit her skin, mixing with and washing away her tears.

Back at school, Danny and Tucker would be sitting through English class. Lunch had passed. They didn't know that since she got home, Sam had already taken four showers.

Sam slid down the wall, curling into herself at the bottom of the tub.

Never in her life had she thought this would happen to her. She was the girl who got left in the dark while everyone went to parties, dealt with high school drama, and freaked out over zits. She had always had her two best friends, and that was all that mattered, besides her individuality. When did all that change?

A week and a half ago, posters like that wouldn't have made her act like this. She would have been angry, yes, but not broken. This was her senior year! It was supposed to be the most exciting, not the most traumatizing.

The water ran cold, but she didn't care.

She ran out of tears, and that was the end of that.

It was time to start thinking. Would she be herself if she didn't get Paulina back? But she'd do it in her own way. The Goth way. The rebel way. No posters, no mass humiliation. This had to be both personal and public. Harsh, but with finesse.

_This is war._

Sam agreed.

She stood up solidly and turned off the water. Stepping out into the bathroom connected to her bedroom, she toweled dry and slipped on silk pajamas, shorts and a tank. Black, of course. She walked out to her bedroom, finger-combing her hair, and dropped onto the bed. A breeze from the open window kept the room at a nice temperature, occasionally surprising her with a blow across her legs. She turned on the CD player by remote and settled down.

Every once in a while, it's good to just take a day off. Sam slipped into a light sleep, lulled by the music and wind.

The phone woke her up.

Sam reached over and slammed the speakerphone button, too lazy to do more. The bedside clock said 4:00 in the afternoon.

"This is Sam," she said automatically.

"Sam?" asked a strange, unfamiliar voice. "This is… ah… Dash." _Dash?_ A burst of wind brushed across her arm and she shivered.

"Dash? Dash Baxter?"

"Yeah. Listen, I'm calling to say that… to say that I don't agree with what Paulina did. It was really low, and you didn't deserve it."

For a moment, Sam was too stunned to speak. She came back to herself quickly, though.

"Um, thanks! But aren't you Paulina's boyfriend?"

"Yes, but lately things have been… not so great. To be honest, I've been rooting for you this whole time." He sounded really nervous. "If Paulina and I hadn't been friends so long, well—you know."

"Yeah," she responded.

He coughed. "So, er, I was wondering… Did you maybe want to go out some time?"

Sam almost laughed. This was Dash, Danny's tormentor, asking her on a date. Irony didn't even cover it. "Actually, I'm not really feeling so great. I don't think it would be the best idea."

"Oh. I see. Well, it was worth a shot…" He fell silent.

"I have a question."

"What is it?" he asked instantly.

"Why are you being so nice? You always beat up on Danny."

This time, Dash chuckled. "Danny's a guy! When I push him, he just gets angry and wants to push back. What Paulina did to you was just cruel."

"Thanks, again."

"No problem. If you ever need anything, just let me know, okay? I'll talk to you later."

"Dash, wait! I need to know something."

"Anything."

"What's Paulina's worst fear?"

"Creepy-crawlies," he said without hesitation. "She hates them."

"Thanks a lot. See you around."

Sam hung up and lay back, biting her lip. Dash Baxter actually had some chivalry in him? Wonders never cease.

Within moments, she was completely relaxed again. Sam stretched, enjoying the brush of the breeze.

It flitted over her legs and curled around her toes before playing across her arms and neck. Tiny flicks found their way under her top and across her stomach, and Sam smiled. It tickled. Another gust came, fluttering her hair and caressing along her jaw. She felt like she had when Danny kissed her, and she imagined the wind was actually him, come to tell her of his undying love. She turned to her side and felt the breeze slip up her back, twirling the hairs on her nape. Sam shivered and sighed, reveling in the bliss of the moment. She fell onto her back once more and grinned as the breeze pressed on and shifted above her.

"Oh, Danny…" she whispered. "I wish you were here."

The breeze lifted for a split-second and she frowned, confused. And then it was back, pushing down on her thin form, holding her where she was. For what seemed an everlasting second, Sam felt real hips against hers, real hands crushing her to the invisible wind, real lips ravishing hers with real breath mingling with hers. And then it was gone.

Sam sat straight up, two quivering fingers touching her lower lip gently. Then she smiled.

_He was here. I told you, you two are made for each other!_

She knew. There was no denying it any more. But just for fun…

* * *

The next day, Sam's dress was midnight blue and slinky, but covered her sufficiently. No breasts hanging out, no legs as long as Texas, just a simple dress that showed off Sam's figure like an athlete shows a gold medal from the Olympics. The posters were gone, and Paulina was mysteriously missing from the hallways. Sam had thought her fan-base would have dribbled to nothing, but instead there was a mass of people crowding around her locker. She stopped short.

"What's going on?" she asked apprehensively.

The supposed spokesperson of the group stepped forward, a junior with messy red hair. He grinned. "We wanted you to know that just because Paulina plays dirty, we're not abandoning you. We know better than what those posters said. You've never been less than kind to even the smallest freshman, and that tells us way more than some stupid signs ever could. You're a good person, Sam, and for that we're sticking with you."

Sam smiled slowly. "Thank you, thank you all. You're all so great… I really don't deserve this. You don't have to."

"We know we don't. We are anyway."

The boy turned around and the mass of people dissipated. Sam shook her head, still smiling, and walked to her locker. She was stopped short again, as Danny leaned against it.

"Hey, Queen-bee," he teased, pulling out a single white lily and handing it to her. Sam's eyes widened.

"Danny! This is… unexpected. And you know I don't want to be queen."

"But the public seems to want you. I'm glad you're in school today," he commented, changing the subject. "I missed you yesterday."

"Well, you can understand why I left. Anyway, I'm much better today."

"Why's that?" Tucker asked as he came up behind her.

"You'll see," Sam intoned mysteriously, nudging Danny aside to get to her locker.

The morning passed quickly. Tucker was making jokes again, Dash was sending Sam funny looks, and Danny was glaring at him. Paulina made almost silent appearances throughout the day, hurrying into class just in time and leaving right away. Sam grinned. This was going to be fun.

At lunch, Sam proposed they sit at a different table, slightly closer to Paulina and Dash's. Danny wasn't too happy about having Sam in Dash's clear line of vision, but he agreed, only submitting to Sam's pouty look. They sat down and began eating.

"So, what did you kill today, Tuck?"

"Deer. It's veal parmigiana."

"Deer? Tucker! You're eating Bambi!"

"Well, actually, it's probably his mom. She's the one that got killed."

"That's awful… How can you eat that?"

"Like this!" he replied enthusiastically, shoving a large piece of meat in his mouth. Sam cringed but said no more, instead catching Dash's eye. She winked, and Danny caught it.

"Sam, what are you doing?"

"Oh, nothing."

"No, I just saw you wink at Dash."

Sam smiled at her best friend. "Yes, I did, but not for the reason you think. No need to get jealous."

"I'm not jealous!" Danny replied a little too quickly. And he sent an extra menacing glare at the bully. But just as Dash was returning it, a blood-curdling scream erupted from not too far away. Danny snapped to attention, looking for a ghost, but Sam grabbed his shoulder and guided his gaze back to the popular table. Paulina had stood up and was jumping up and down, waving her hands frantically.

"Get them off! Get them off! _Mi Dio, _get me out of here!" She screamed again and ran from the cafeteria, leaving the shocked students to look for what disturbed her. They didn't have to look far, because large, inch-long cockroaches were pouring out of Nasty-P's lunch bag. Almost everyone in the surrounding area scooted away, girls crying out in disgust. The guys were laughing until Dash shouted.

"Hey, there's a note!" he yelled and reached forward over bugs to grab it. Sam noticed he was smiling. "It says, 'Paulina, did you know that cockroaches can live for days even with their heads chopped off? In fact, the only reason they die is because they starve!' There's no name!" Dash announced, though he shot a look at Sam. Danny did as well, followed quickly by Tucker.

Sam was sitting quietly, still eating her lunch. Her two best friends plopped down beside her, each laughing his head off.

"That was amazing!" said Tucker, who could barely breathe as it was. "How did you do that?"

"I snuck into her bag before homeroom while she was in the bathroom. Some of them actually have their heads cut off."

"That is disgusting, but so cool," Danny exclaimed. "Some of your best work, if I do say so myself."

"Thanks," Sam replied, barely hiding her grin.

* * *

On Wednesday, Nasty-P opened her desk to find spiders had infested it.

By Thursday, almost the entire school—even the teachers—were waiting to see what would happen to Paulina. No one had punished Sam because, miraculously, no one had seen her do those things. There was no proof, so there was no case.

Danny was surprised when Sam asked him to tell Paulina to meet him under the tree in the school courtyard during lunch. When he asked what for, Sam simply said, "Just make small-talk, okay?"

He had agreed, wanting to see what Sam was up to. So, at lunch that day, Danny went and waited by the tree, not surprised when Paulina sauntered up to him seductively.

"Hi, Danny," she cooed. "I just knew you'd come to see reason. So, do you want to go out tonight?"

"Well, maybe, but actually I was wondering if you could help me. I'm doing an article for the school paper, and…"

He didn't get any farther, for a slim piece of paper had fluttered to the ground between them. Paulina bent and picked it up, here eyes scanning quickly over it. She looked nervous, her eyes darting from side to side when she had finished reading. It was then that Danny noticed something black descending from the depths of the tree, hanging by a string. It swung precariously, and as it drew nearer he saw that something was actually dripping from it. By the time it reached a foot above him, he could see tiny black eyes and silver spots running down its back. By the time it landed on Paulina's head, he was trying not to laugh.

The once immensely popular girl froze, not quite believe what she was feeling. The string dropped and landed across her face, splattering her with something that looked shiny and sticky. It was then that she screamed, running away once more. People stared as she went by, their eyebrows lifted. Moments later, Sam dropped out of the tree. Danny knelt to pick up the paper Paulina had dropped and read it quickly.

"_Plethodon glutinosis _is a kind of lizard, commonly known as the Slimy Salamander. This eight-inch bugger gets his name from a sticky secretion it emits when scared or handled roughly. Oh, and it's very hard to get off your skin. During courtship rituals, the Slimy Salamander lifts its hind legs and tail, showing off for the female. They can be found widely along the east coast of North America, all the way from Florida to New York and out to Texas."

Danny lifted his eyes. "How long did it take you to come up with this?" he asked.

"A while, actually. Getting the idea wasn't hard, but I had to have the salamander delivered."

He laughed and swung his arm over Sam's shoulder. "Come on," he said. "We need to tell Tuck about this one."

* * *

**SetsuntaMew: **Yes, Paulina is a bitch. I think I've clarified that pretty clearly. FLUFF HEALS THE SOUL! You yelled it? Good for you! Did it make you feel better? Because when I giggle and say it, it does. Anyway, rock on, Pittsburg! Read fan-fictions!

**Squirt-Anne: **You deadly can't wait for it? If anyone dies, please let me know. I'd like to pay my respects.

**Hina: **Woot! Keep reading!

**SilverSummerMoon: **THIS is the Sam-kicks-butt chapter. Thought I mentioned that… Anyway, piranhas and a hired male? Did you use the hired male to lure Paulina to a swimming pool full of piranhas? Or maybe the hired male distracted her with his male-ness and then shoved a piranha down her throat, and it ate her from the inside out? Gruesome, yes, but it's what I thought of.

**Mike Jones frum da dirty south: **Yeah, and here's Chapter 6. It's you reviewers, you keep me motivated.

**NoLemonade: **I'm glad you like the story! And yes, the D/S fluff is great. Do you know why? Because fluff heals the soul.

**SamFentonPhantom: **I know. I thought of killing her, but then whoever did it would go to jail, (cough, Sam, cough) and that would cause a host of problems. Actually, that might be a good idea…

**Chris: **Aw sweetie thanks so much for coming on here. I love you!

**_FLUFF HEALS THE SOUL!_**

**--GS**


	7. The TurnAround

**Author's Note: Okay, this is a normal-sized chapter. I actually had some trouble with this one; I didn't know how to take it where I wanted it to go. But I think I did what I needed to, so I hope you enjoy! This is just another one of those which show how extremely pathetic Paulina is, but Sam's in a bit of a predicament, now… Oh, just read.

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**Chapter 7- The Turn-Around**

Tucker smiled as he watched his friends goofing around after school. They were having some sort of tickle-pillow fight, though every once in a while something random would fly across the room. He'd already seen shoes, books, writing utensils, paper balls, and checker pieces. Oh, and Sam's heels? Deadly.

Everything was back to normal, it seemed… except Sam.

She still looked preppy. Tucker couldn't get used to it—it just wasn't happening. For ninety-nine percent of the school this new Sam was a treat and an idol, but to her two best friends… the novelty had worn off. At first it was fun just to see what she would come up with, but now they just wanted their friend back. Thanks a lot, alien impersonator, but go back to the Mother Ship. Where's our Goth?

Danny got caught upside the head with Sam's bare ankle and he made an "oof" noise; the look on his face was hilarious. When Sam bent down to see if he was okay, she was immediately on the floor, trying to escape from his tickle attack. Retaliation is dangerous, he supposed.

Tuck had to say that with all the things Sam was doing to Nasty-P, her popularity was skyrocketing. Even those who were on Paulina's side were slowly converting. The strange part? The three of them had slowly been pushed to the center table in the cafeteria. No matter how early they showed up, there were people reserving everything else. Danny and Sam hadn't noticed, but Tucker was made to notice these things. The school had crowned its new queen, without her even realizing it.

The pillow fight ended when Danny phased through the floor.

"Cheater!" Sam yelled, and he reappeared at her side.

"What, I'm not allowed to use my personal abilities? I didn't take defense classes like you, Sam."

"No, but you've been fighting ghosts for three and a half years. I win by default. Cheater," she added again quietly.

"Am not. I'll get you later."

"Like Nasty-P 'got me'? I'm not one to mess with, ghost-boy."

Apparently, they had forgotten Tucker was in the room.

"Neither am I," Danny countered, his eyes glowing green for a moment. Sam laughed.

"Do you really think I'm scared of that?" She poked his chest.

"You should be!" he yelled, sweeping Sam off the ground and spinning her around. She screamed, shouting at Danny to put her down. He didn't relent, phasing out so she fell and just before she hit the floor catching her again. When he finally took pity on her and set her back on her feet, she wobbled.

"You're evil," she said, trying to tame her now flyaway hair.

Danny smiled and brushed it out of her eyes. "I'll always catch you, Sam," he murmured. Their eyes caught and held. Tucker rolled his eyes.

"That's my cue to cut in," he said loudly. Both of his friends jumped and glared at him.

"And my cue to leave." Sam grabbed her bag from the floor and swung it onto her shoulder, backing out of Danny's room. "I'll see you guys tomorrow before school, okay?"

"Use snakes next time!" Tucker yelled after she had disappeared. Laughter echoed up the steps.

"Way to ruin the moment, Tuck." Danny fell onto the bed beside him, placing his hands behind his head.

"I didn't ruin it!" Tucker protested. "And anyway, did you think I was going to let you guys go at it in front of me again? No way."

Danny laughed. "I guess not. I wonder what Sam's going to do tomorrow," he said.

Tucker picked up on the quick change of subject. "Yeah, me too."

They fell silent; both anticipating what was to come.

* * *

It was snakes. 

"I can't believe you actually listened to me!" Tucker ranted during lunch.

"Well, for once, you actually had a good idea."

Danny was still laughing. "Did you see the look on her face when they came pouring out of her locker like that!"

Tucker paused in his discussion with Sam and turned to him. "Actually, I got a picture of it. Here," he said, pulling out his PDA. On it was a picture of a dark-haired senior, eyes wide as a gardener snake tried desperately to get up her nose.

The people in the cafeteria smiled when laughter erupted from the center table.

When Danny's ghost sense went off, the laughter stopped. The trio took off, barely stopping to dump their lunches before they left.

They found the ghost outside, and Danny was about to go ghost, but Sam held him back. He gave her a look, she pointed around the corner where they were hiding. Danny looked—it was Desiree, once again talking to Paulina. Both of them sounded angry. Tucker, not one to be left out, knelt on the ground and peeked around the corner as well.

"You have failed me!" the feminine ghost screamed.

"I'm sorry! I don't know why it didn't work."

"You were supposed to lure the half-breed with your looks, but I know why it did not succeed. You have no inner beauty!"

"What?" Paulina asked, dumbfounded.

"Outer beauty gets you nothing if your soul is as black as Johnny 13's shadow! Inner beauty is what counts; no extra breast size can change that. You are wretched! I'll strip you of your false outside, so people can see your true inside!"

Paulina screamed as Desiree shot a spell around her, returning her to what she had been, in the same outfit that she wore when Sam came up with her nickname. Paulina fumed. "I need inner beauty? Then I wish for it! I wish for inner beauty!"

Desiree was momentarily silent, looking sadly at the mortal. "No manner of wishing can grant you inner beauty. _That_, you must earn."

She disappeared in a swirl of green and purple smoke.

Sam, Tucker, and Danny backed away, walking quickly to Sam's locker. They were astounded by what they had seen.

"Desiree took away her wish?" Sam asked.

"Because she had no inner beauty," Danny agreed. "It seems fitting."

"Well, yeah, but what's going to happen now? The only reason people were even around her anymore was because they liked the new look. Now that she's back to the way she was, how are they going to—?"

Tucker was cut off by Sam, who was staring over his shoulder. He turned around to see Paulina storming up the hallway. By this time lunch had let out, and people were flooding the walkway. Nasty-P shoved through them all, finally pushing Tucker and Danny aside. Her arm shot out and captured Sam around the neck, pinning her to the lockers behind her. Sam raised an eyebrow, not even lifting a hand to stop her.

"Oh, hi Paulina. Was there something you needed?"

"I need you put in your place! Meet me after school tomorrow in the park, by the fountain. You're going down, Manson," she snarled. Paulina let go of Sam, and she dropped a few inches to the ground. Nasty-P stalked away, ignoring the stares of disdainful classmates.

"You okay?" Tucker asked Sam quietly.

She had her fingers to her throat, massaging it gently. "If she thinks fighting me will make her popular, she's got another think coming," Sam replied.

But she was shaken. Her friends could tell. They each hooked an arm through hers, walking with her to their next class.

* * *

**EEK! So many reviews to respond to! You reviewers are the best, really. Just know that seeing 15 new e-mails in my inbox lifted my day so much.**

**Rae Valerious: **Four checkmarks? Yesssss!

**JNgirl: **The slimy salamander is honestly one of my favorite parts of that chapter. It took forever to find what I needed though. Props to my boyfriend for being wonderful and researching for me!

**SetsuntaMew: **Wait, you have turquoise hair? I like you even more now! XD As for coming up with the ideas, I honestly think I channeled Sam. She just seems the type to not care about handling bugs or spiders or salamanders, whereas we know Paulina would hate them. Though, I don't know how she'd feel about some of the cockroaches' heads being cut off… I don't know, I just thought it would be more grotesque that way. Funnier for the rest of us.

**silvershadows---: **Thanks! After this there're only three more chapters. I know, shocking!

**Kats02980416: **You are one of the most in-depth reviewers I have ever met. Thanks tons. Yeah, Danny's definitely not liking the Dash/Sam friendship, but he needs to deal. With Dash helping Sam play Nasty-P, how could she not be friends with him? And yes, Sam could rule the school. But she doesn't want to, and that's one of the last problems we're dealing with… actually, I have yet to figure out how she's going to get out of that one…

**goldanima: **You thought it was funny? Yay!

**nemesis57: **EEEE! Your review makes me feel good inside. Seriously, I love that you talked about the literary aspects of this. Rhetorical devices gave me hell in English class, but apparently I caught something if you're mentioning them. To be honest, those emotions come from my characters. I hear all the time that you're not supposed to have character-driven stories, but I feel that it's the personalities that give a tale flare. No matter what the plot is, without interesting characters it's going to suck. And this is where a shining picture of Butch Hartman floats over my head, because he made these darn characters before anyone else could think them up. As for school, I'm taking honors English classes, so no fear. And I plan on majoring in English, probably working toward being an author and also a high-school teacher, if I can manage to do it all. And I turned Sweet 16 in June! Yay me! If it's still 15 in my bio, I'll fix it. Not a big thing, but yeah…

**crazybluephantom: **Is this fast enough?

**BuffytheVampslayer: **Sam will always be better than Paulina, because that's the way stories and TV shows go, lol. Good wins over evil, awesome Goth chick beats preppy bitch, and the viewers are happy.

**Myst: **o.O Devious? Just out of curiosity, how am I devious? And what's the "or else?"

**sam manson rulez: **I'll try! And thanks for reviewing!

**Mike Jones frum da dirty south: **Yeah, Sam is amazing. She just has an edge to her that makes her so fun to write.

**DragonGirl: **Slimy Salamander has become one of my best friends. I'm thinking of getting one. Seriously. And… well, I'll tell you guys later.

**SilverSummerMoon: **Myst says I'm devious, but I think you're more so. Go devious!

**Snea: **FLUFF HEALS THE SOUL! FLUFF HEALS THE SOUL! SCREAM IT LOUD, PROUD, AND EVERY-WHICH-WAY! IN PITTSBURG, PHILADELPHIA, BANGOR, LAS VEGAS (wow, that'll be interesting), NYC, HOUSTON, AND THE ENTIRE STATE OF KENTUCKY!

**Okay, this is something different. I'm putting out a challenge to all you wonderful people. I want you guys to write a story with this plotline: Paulina gets killed in a mysterious murder, and the town thinks it's Sam that did it! She gets sent to jail… What happens next? That's for you to decide. It doesn't have to be when they're teenagers, because that would be kind of hard to write. E-mail me your responses and put them onfanfiction!If at all possible, make it DXS… You know why? Cause**

_**FLUFF HEALS THE SOUL!**_

**--GS**


	8. Tucker's Talks

**Author's Note: This wasn't the easiest or most fun chapter to write, but I think it's my favorite so far. I've said this in reviews, and I'll say it here. I'm beginning to really appreciate Tucker. The more I write his character, the more I see how many layers he has (like an onion, Hehe). This chapter goes out to him, and to all my rockin' reviewers.

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**Chapter 8- Tucker's Talks**

Sam chose not to go to Danny's after school. It was just him and Tucker. Danny lay on his bed, tossing a rubber ball straight into the air and catching it. Tucker was spinning in the computer chair.

"I don't know what to do about her," Danny said suddenly. Tucker didn't even blink.

"How are you supposed to? She's a girl. You're a guy. Different brainwaves."

"But usually we're so connected. At times it was almost like we could read each other's minds. But now it's like we're blocked, and at the same time I've got these new feelings for her… well, maybe they're not new. But now they're surfacing, and—"

"Danny, stop. This is too scary. You're talking about your feelings!"

He chucked the ball at Tucker, hitting him square in the forehead. "I need to talk to someone, and I'm not about to call Jazz to listen to her psychobabble."

Tuck sighed. "Okay, then listen up. You and Sam have liked each other since 'Let there be light.' The fact that it's rising now isn't surprising. It's just a question of how to deal with it, and how to let Sam know you want her for who she is, not who she's become."

"What?"

"This is getting ridiculous," Tucker muttered, shaking his head. "Danny, you're oblivious, so maybe you didn't notice, but Sam's gone through a big change these past two weeks."

"Yeah, I noticed. Of course I did, but what does that have to do with what we're talking about?"

"Sam is insecure! If you come at her now, she's going to think you only want her because she's changed so much. You need to hold off until she's back to normal. That way she knows you like her for who she is."

"But what if she never comes back? I mean, I love the old Sam. What do I do if she never goes back to what she was?"

"And there he goes again… Listen, Danny, Sam hasn't morphed; she's just hidden beneath this new exterior. She just has to realize that she can't run away from who she is."

"But when will that happen?"

"Soon." Tucker stood up and started getting his stuff together. "I'll make sure of it."

* * *

She was staring at the ceiling again.

_Are you going to fight her?_

If she knew the answer to that, she wouldn't be staring at the ceiling.

_Right. Anyway, I know this may sound shocking, but I don't know what to do._

Then shut up.

If she fought Paulina, she would win. There was no doubt about that; Sam had taken defense classes and had been battling ghosts with Danny for what seemed forever. Paulina would go down. But did Sam really want to fight? It would lower her to Paulina's level, and she had tried so hard to stay above that. Was the personal satisfaction worth it?

A knock on her doorframe drew her attention. Tucker walked in.

"Hey," he said. "Is Sam here?"

"Tuck, it's me."

"Really? Because I see no resemblance."

…That hurt.

"Just go away," Sam growled.

"No can do. You see, we need to talk."

"I've got enough voices, thanks."

"What?"

"Never mind. I just really don't feel like talking."

Tucker sighed and sat down heavily so the bed bounced.

"There are things we need to discuss. Like the new you. If you're going to continue this, you'll need more new clothes. And probably a hair stylist, on call 24/7. Plus new friends, of course. Can't be seen with two nerds; of course not. The new Sam—"

She shot out of bed to pace. "Tucker, there is no new Sam! It's still me, the same girl you've known for years! I'm still in here; it's just a different look so I could get back at Paulina. It's going to end, no matter what people think!"

Tuck stared penetratingly at her. "I knew that. I was just wondering if you did."

"I…" Sam faltered, falling back on the bed. "I don't know what to do."

"Sam, this is going to sound really weird coming from me, but you need to hear it. You are beautiful. Not like Paulina, who needed Desiree. You have the inner beauty they were talking about, and that's why people like you so much. They would have liked you before if they'd known you. They just chose not to, because many people fear what's different. The beauty has always been there, just waiting to come out. I think now would be a great time to embrace it. Be you, Sam. It's what you need, and it's what we all want."

Tucker got up and left before she could even think of what to say.

* * *

Late that night, Sam was awoken by a strange noise. She strained to hear, and it sounded as if someone was in her closet. By then used to strange occurrences in the middle of the night, Sam turned on the bedside lamp. She could see sneakers and jeans peaking out from behind her closet door. Things were being thrown across her room left and right, accompanied by low muttering. Sam got up and walked around to find a white t-shirt and messy black hair to go with the jeans and sneakers.

"Danny, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Considering this closet is so big, it's really messy," he replied, not answering her.

"It is now. What are you doing here?" she repeated.

Once again, no answer came. Instead she heard an exclamation of victory and Danny emerged, carrying her oldest and chunkiest black combat boots. He shoved them into her arms.

"Wear those tomorrow."

"Why?"

"Because," he said, smiling. "They're you. Personally, I prefer them over the heels."

He leaned over and kissed her gently on the cheek, then sunk through her floor and disappeared.

* * *

"I'm scared," Tucker confided in Danny the next day.

Once again they were standing just inside the Mansons' front door, waiting for Sam to come down. She was late again, and she hadn't been late since that first day with the changed outfits. Danny smiled.

"I'm not."

A door opened somewhere upstairs and Tucker spun around, lowering his head. "I can't look," he muttered. There was silence for a suspended five seconds, and then Danny clutched Tucker's arm like he'd never let go. Tucker's heart pounded. "Do you need help standing up?" he asked warily.

For a second all he heard was Danny's shallow breathing. Then, "Hell yes."

Tucker turned around slowly, almost dreading what he would see. When he caught sight of their female best friend, his arm shot out to steady Danny.

Her hair was still down, but there was something different about it. It was… messier. She wore a dog-collar around her neck along with a large dragon medallion necklace that settled right on her breasts. The sleeveless blouse looked like it was made of the deepest maroon linen, but as only the top was showing, it was hard to tell. A black lace-up bodice covered her stomach and breasts, accentuating her curves to the infinitive degree. Her skirt was completely black and reached her knees, and from under it came Sam's long legs clad in maroon netted stockings. Danny's favorite combat boots clunked as she descended the steps.

Sam looked hot—hotter than she had even for the past two weeks. And she finally looked like herself.

Danny's mouth was dry, and he struggled to lick his lips. He barely dared to blink, lest the dark angel in front of him disappear. Sam grabbed her book-bag and stood before them, smiling.

"What?" she asked with attitude. "Am I too Goth for you?"

* * *

**Does Sam rock or what? Yeah, she's back, and better (emotionally) than ever. Now, on to review responses from last chapter.**

**crazybluephantom: **FLUFF HEALS THE SOUL! Anyway, the pillow fight was one of my favorite parts, I could really see it in my mind. As for updating, I try to keep up with myself. I know that when I read stories I get angry at people who don't review quickly, so I'm trying to outdo my own expectations.

**SetsuntaMew: **Happy? Lol yeah Tucker finally came up with a good plan (besides getting his two best friends together). Your poor cats! That's possibly the…(counts chapters)… seventh time you scared them! I must tell you now, there are ten chapters. Cats only have nine lives… do the math and distract them while you're reading!

**SilverSummerMoon: **You do that, and tell me how it works out. When I go to Six Flags tomorrow I'll do it and see how fast my friends try to commit me.

**Hyperactively Bored: **WOOT! Now there are three people on this world standing outside screaming Fluff Heals the Soul! It's spreading! Randomness and fluff go together so well, don't you think?

**SR-71 fanatic: **Yes, fluff heals the soul! It is a known fact, just didn't have a catch-phrase yet… so here it is! Woot! Spread it around!

**Kats02980416: **I just got the best "eureka" moment, you have no idea. I'm holding off on telling anyone till the last chapter, but man, you rock! Thanks for the inspiration, and thumbs up for the whole review! You're really catching the meaning!

**Robert Teague: **Yes, I was going for profound. That whole scene is me, saying "Look at this! It's the entire point to the story!" As for another think coming, I need to stop _think_ing when I type. I think one thing and type something completely different. Thanks for pointing out the typo, I'm going back to fix it right now.

**Dun Dun Duncan: **Hey, and thanks for coming back! I'm glad you like the story!

**Myst: **Devious is fun, that's all I can say. Anyway, threaten me all you want. If I don't have a chapter or don't want to write, I don't. Simple as that. But you guys lucked out with this story, because it's so fun to write!

**_FLUFF HEALS THE SOUL!_**

**--GS**


	9. No?

**Author's Note: Okay, I would have posted this at midnight last night when I got home, but my internet wouldn't work so you guys had to wait another half a day. Sorry. Anyway, I have 25 reviews for chapter eight already. That's what I get for leaving the house for a day, right? Hehe. This chapter is… so many things. Sam is amazing here. She rocks.

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**Chapter 9- No?**

At school, everyone noticed. The Drama Club loved the medieval look to her top. The punks thought her necklaces "rocked the world." Valerie was jealous. Kwan stared at Sam whenever she passed, and Dash squeezed her shoulder as he walked by in the hallway. By third period, Danny's eyes were hurting from glaring all the time. Sam noticed him rubbing them.

"Stop it, Danny. You don't need to threaten everyone who comes near me."

"I'm just looking out for you, Sam. I know you hate getting asked out by every guy from here to Antarctica. Just trying to save you some sanity."

"I know, and thank you, Danny. But don't wear yourself out." She reached out and brushed her thumb across his cheek. Tucker noticed and his eyes narrowed speculatively, but he said nothing.

The day continued in much the same manner, though Danny did relent a bit. Lunch rolled around and it felt almost normal, with Tucker and Sam fighting again, while Danny tried to mediate without getting his head bitten off. Mixed in were stupid jokes, bad puns, and broken laughter. But underneath it all was a hidden tension, something that Tucker finally addressed.

"Sam, what are you going to do about Paulina?"

But Sam just shook her head. "You'll see, just like she will."

Also something out of the norm was Sam not getting a lunch, but picking off Danny's plate. When he looked at her in question she simply smiled, nudging him with her shoulder. She asked if he minded, he said that he didn't, and that was the end of that.

Almost. She was sitting strangely close to him, so that their hips brushed together continually, and whenever he looked at her he had an inescapable view down the front of her bodice. Once he even got so distracted he had to make an excuse about what an interesting necklace she was wearing. Sam smiled and told him her mother had gotten it in China.

And he caught her staring at him. She always looked away quickly or pretended to be looking past him, but it was blatantly fake. The entire time she had this slight smile…

Lunch was dismissed and the students filtered from the cafeteria. Danny was almost at the door when Sam stopped him.

"Hold on. Here," she said, and stepped forward. She pressed herself against him and lifted her arms onto his shoulders, almost like she was hugging him. She went up on tiptoe then, however, and started fiddling with his shirt. Her warm breath made his ear tingle. He caught Tucker's eye over Sam's shoulder and the techno-geek gave him a questioning look, but Danny had no answer. Sam pulled back then, and grinned. "Your tag was out," she explained.

In English, she sat behind him. Danny was startled when he felt her chin rest on his shoulder. After seven seconds—he counted—she still hadn't said anything. "Need something?" he asked quietly.

"What page is the questions for that story we're reading on?" she returned, her chin still on his shoulder.

"One-oh-three."

"Thanks." She paused, and then spoke again. "Do you wear cologne?"

"Only a little. Been doing it for years now."

He felt her smile. "You smell good," she whispered before retreating back to her seat.

But after school, Sam disappeared.

Tucker and Danny were surprised; they hadn't even really seen her go. She just faded out of their presence. They decided to walk to the park without her. She probably had something important to do anyway.

On the way over, they talked about what would happen. Would Sam fight Paulina? If anything of the sort happened, Paulina had no chance of winning. Both boys had been the object of Sam's wrath at least once (Tucker numerous times), and both knew that she could be brutal. And, Sam had continually spouted off about how beating up on humans for no reason was almost as bad—but not quite—as beating up on animals. She believed in peace generally, and organized protestation. But what would Paulina do if Sam refused to fight? What _could _she do?

They doubted they would need to, but just in case, both Danny and Tucker agreed to help Sam out if she got in a sticky situation.

When they got to the fountain in the park, a crowd was already gathering. As Danny passed by, he could hear people betting on who would win. As far as he could tell, the mass opinion was that Sam would. The few people that said Paulina were frowned at, but their money was snatched up right away.

Not ten minutes later, Paulina arrived. Dash, Kwan, and Valerie trailed behind her, all of them looking like they didn't want to be there. Nasty-P looked around expectantly, but not finding Sam, sat on the edge of the fountain.

Time passed. More bets were exchanged, though quietly so Paulina couldn't hear. People murmured together in small groups, all anxiously waiting. This was rumored to be the biggest fight of the year. Whoever won this won the school, almost literally.

And still Sam didn't come. Paulina began taunting her loudly, asking why precious Samantha wasn't there yet to take her beating. Maybe she chickened out, Paulina mentioned numerous times, and Danny had the sudden urge to shove a rubber chicken down Nasty-P's throat.

They had been waiting an hour when someone yelled, "She's here!"

The entire group turned in the direction the person pointed. Sam was walking slowly, coming from the direction of the downtown, and it looked like she was carrying something. She was wearing the same outfit she had worn to school.

When she reached the spectators they parted, creating a natural circle around the two enemies. Nasty-P was cracking her knuckles like some member of the mafia on drugs while Sam just set down the shoe-box she'd been carrying and stared. No one spoke. Paulina sent death glares and menacing gestures, but Sam just stared. And then she smiled.

"Seems almost anticlimactic, doesn't it?" she asked.

Paulina stood up straight. "What?" she countered, clearly confused.

"Oh, surely you grasp the situation by now." When once again, no one spoke, Sam continued. "I'm not going to fight you."

A collective gasp rose from the onlookers.

"You're chickening out?" Nasty-P asked.

"Of course not. If I wanted to, I could kick your butt from here to the planet you came from. I just choose not to waste my time on you. So, if you want your crown back, you can have it." She turned to the side and sporadic conversations broke out through the crowd. Sam picked up her shoe-box and when she stood up again, silence fell immediately. "Here," Sam said, offering the shoe-box to Paulina. Nasty-P took it warily, keeping her eyes on Sam's. She stepped back and flipped off the lid, then screamed and dropped the box. Its contents spilled onto the sidewalk.

Inside the box had been a small crown of glittering silver plastic—covered almost completely in cow dung. Tiny maggots squirmed through holes in the tiara, and flies flitted from here to there on the pile. Paulina had backed up several steps, her hands up, mouth hanging open. Her eyes moved from Sam to the crown rapidly. Sam smiled and nodded to Paulina, then turned and began to walk away. She hadn't gotten far, however, before she spun and walked backwards instead.

"Oh, and Paulina?" she called. "Did you know there are more than 3,000 different species of frog and toad? I've got about fifty of them at home… maybe I'll show them to you some time!"

And with that, it was over.

* * *

Far, far away, Vlad Masters waved a hand over a bubbling pool of water, erasing the picture of the retreating Goth. He moved slowly to his study, where he thought best. He lowered himself into an armchair, pressing the tips of his fingers together. 

"Interesting," he said quietly. "Very interesting…"

* * *

The next chapter is the last one! I know, shocking, but true. Okay, I know that Sam has totally won this Nasty-P war, but what will she do about her popularity? And what about Danny? If anyone wants a clue to the next chapter, go to www. axolotl. org Do it without the spaces. It's great…

**Alright, I know it's insanity, but I'm going to respond personally to all 25 reviews. I told you I would respond to those I got before posting the next chapter, and I won't break my promise. So here we go.**

**ChemicalHappiness:** Thanks! And yeah, I felt like Sam really needed to come back before the face-off between her and Nasty-P.

**crazybluephantom:** Yes, Tucker's the bomb. Sam coming back was seriously the turning point here, and that's why this chapter is so important.

**Rae Valerious:** The other Sam was, for me, like a doppelganger Sam. Bad imitation.

**inufire:** Sam kicks butt in her own way.

**Bleeding Grey:** MUFFIN! Do I get my muffin?

**Kats02980416:** Tucker in that chapter was really, really important. He was the only one who could see what was really going on between his two friends, so he was the only one to help them with their problems. One of my favorites parts, honestly, was Danny coming to Tucker, not the other way around. It shows how much faith Danny has in Tuck, which only comes out subtly in the show.

**Squirt-Anne:** Did I answer your question? Did Sam fight Paulina? o.O

**BuffytheVampslayer:** The only thing with that is that Sam isn't preppy. It was a ruse, a disguise, and it was far past time for her to come out into the open. The whole new look she has is saying, "I'm Goth. There's nothing you can do about it. But I can be Goth and damn sexy at the same exact time. Eat your heart out."

**sam manson rulez:** Yeah, I just had to include the medallion. I love it.

**Alexa Daley:** ACK! You have no idea what kind of threat that is. I've been saying for years that I fear lawn gnomes… (breaks out the sledge hammer)

**SilverSummerMoon:** I had to bring the "standing up" line back again. I loved it so much the first time, that it seemed fitting Danny would be even more infatuated with the Sam he _originally_ fell in love with, only sexier. Also, may I point out here to all that are reading, that I believe sexiness is an attitude. It doesn't really matter what you look like; if you feel sexy, you will be. Sam, wearing that outfit, felt sexy as hell, and that's what made her so desirable.

**SR-71 Fanatic:** Want Paulina to die? Go back a chapter or two and check out my challenge at the end of the review responses!

**Arezal:** I think Sam took Nasty-P down… don't you? Yeah, Paulina went down, just not really in the way anyone expected.

**DragonGirl:** FLUFF HEALS THE SOUL!

**Spiffy McFloogan:** I love your name. Anyway, if you like Paulina getting put down, I bet you loved this chapter!

**yinyang-shadow:** I'm an idiot. I totally knew that there's no such thing as a ying-yang, my friends have told me time and time again. I'll go back and change it in all the review responses. I owe it to you for making that mistake. So, I get fudge and fluff? YES! Cause Fluff Heals the Soul!

**Myst:** I rock? I rock! Yay!

**otakualways:** YES SAM'S BACK AND SHE'S AWESOMENESS INCARNATE!

**dpdramaqueen:** FLUFF HEALS THE SOUL! WoOt! (twitch)

**Anime Fan Angus:** Wheeeeeeeeeeee! I'm glad you like it!

**EvilAnimeGoodness:** I'm seriously thinking of making or buying those clothes and wearing them to school one day. I'll see what everyone says.

**Yayfullness (TLTLI):** I updated!

**The Adversary:** Don't worry about pressuring me. I have the entire story finished, and had it finished when you reviewed. In fact… well, I'll tell you at the end of next chapter. You sound interesting… I think I'll check out your page…

**Miss A. LaRosa:** Gold? Alchemy! The purification process of turning lead to gold! My reviewers are my soul's alchemy… along with FLUFF!

**too-morbid-for-words05:** I'm glad it doesn't suck. I was hoping it wouldn't.

_**FLUFF HEALS THE SOUL!**_

**--GS**


	10. Satisfaction

**Author's Note: To every person who ever said to themselves, "I think Danny and Sam would make a cute couple." And, to everyone whose individuality makes them that much more beautiful; a diamond in the rough.

* * *

**

**Chapter 10- Satisfaction**

At 11:07 that night, there was a tapping on Sam's window. She'd been expecting him.

"I'm surprised you didn't show up earlier," Sam said as she let Danny in. He landed and changed to his human form.

"Tuck and I figured we'd let you revel in your victory."

Sam laughed and sat on the edge of her bed, crossing her ankles. "I didn't exactly win."

"Oh really? You didn't hear those kids after you left. It was silent for about ten seconds before everyone started talking at once. Every single one of them was saying that you took the high road, you're way better than Paulina, you didn't let her get to you…"

"Oh, stop! Stop, I can't bear it. Didn't they get it? I don't _want_ to be 'better' than Nasty-P."

Danny smiled and sat next to her. "That doesn't keep you from being so." Sam smiled and blushed at his praise, looking at the floor. After a moment, he spoke again. "What was with you today?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" She sounded so innocent, too.

"You were touching me all day. I know you're not shy, but that was extreme, even for you."

Sam looked up at him, a familiar mischievous glint in her eye. "Couldn't you tell? I was seducing you. I figured you did such a good job of it…"

"Good job of what?"

Instead of answering directly, Sam looked around. "Is there a breeze in here?" she asked falsely. They laughed together.

"Caught me," he said.

"Nope." And fast as lightning, Sam reached across him and grabbed his shoulder. She lay back on the bed and tugged, forcing Danny to brace him above her. "You caught me." She looked so great beneath him, her hair splayed on the sheets. She bit her lip. Danny couldn't resist any more.

He lowered himself the last few inches, allowing his mouth to touch hers. He immediately fell deeper into the kiss, letting himself go. They nibbled and licked each other's lips, memorizing every taste and sensation. She flicked her tongue along his, and her arms snaked around to his back. Sharp nails urged him closer and he complied, pushing Sam farther up the bed so it wasn't so awkward.

He held her like he had the other night, like he'd never let go, even if the world ended. Sam felt sure there would be permanent imprints of his hands on her back and waist, but she didn't care. In fact, she wanted them there. Her fingers slid up into his hair, feeling the rough texture and pulling him closer.

Their kiss was a fight for dominance, two strong forces coming together, neither knowing who would win, and neither truly caring. The pressure was huge; hips, hands, lips—all fused together for everlasting moments.

Sam broke from his mouth to attack other areas. She caught his earlobe in her teeth then licked her way down his neck, occasionally pausing to breathe cool over her trail. She then concentrated on the base of his neck, nipping at the skin there. Danny shuddered, amazed at what feelings she invoked in him. This was Sam; his best friend forever… and all along he could have had… _this_.

Danny realized she was winning. Not about to let that happen, he changed tactics.

"Sam…" he whispered softly into her ear as his grip on her lessened. He placed his fingers under the hem of the tee she wore, stroking them up slowly. He drew lazy patterns across her stomach. "Sam," he said again, and noticed he was getting her attention. The pressure on his neck was letting up; though he was sure she'd left at least one red mark. He brushed his fingertips across her abdomen. "You're beautiful, Sam," he murmured. His mouth touched the sensitive part behind her ear and he felt her jerk, a tiny catch in her breath. He smiled and let his hands roam over her hips, wind up her back, and slide down again. "I can make you shiver." His voice was quiet as he ran his palms over her ribs. His touch found a ticklish spot on her lower back, shown by the chill that ran through her, but he ignored it for the time being. "You're mine," he said, gently pushing her into the bed with his weight. "I'm yours. We belong to each other, and we belong together."

"Danny…" Sam whispered.

"I can make you sigh," he continued as one hand lifted to caress her shoulder. He stroked all the way to her wrist and back then repeated the process, the second time stopping to linger on the inside of her arm. All the while his other hand continued its ministrations at her waist, never stopping the light brushes. He blew air across her collarbone, and sure enough, she sighed. No sooner was that victory won that he renewed his vigor. "You're not shivering yet," he said on a breath, and returned both hands to her stomach. One ran low, touching lightly around her navel and hips. The other moved back, and his fingers flicked across the highly ticklish spot he had found earlier. For a split second, Sam stopped breathing. "Hmm, not yet," he said, and touched her again. This time she tensed, and when she let go, the lightest of shudders had gone through her. "Good… I know I said this before, but you are so beautiful… on the inside, as well as out. You have everything I could ever want. I can make you say my name again," he whispered almost conversationally. He continued to tickle her, while his mouth rained tiny kisses across her jaw and throat. He ran his free palm over her hip and down her thigh, making sure not to get too close to Sam's more private regions. He wasn't ready for that, but he could certainly be involved when kissing her. It worked, too… he had made the pass up and down her thigh only three times before her mouth opened.

"Oh, Danny," she murmured.

"Sam," he replied, lifting his arm to brush her hair from her eyes. It was time for the sneak attack. Danny pushed more firmly onto her, at the same time quickening his caresses of her ticklish spot. Her eyes opened wide before shutting quickly, and she gasped. Danny smiled and pressed his lips to her neck. He moaned, letting the vibrations shake her. He moved again to her ear. "I can blow your mind," he said, and then, "Sam," more insistently. She whimpered, her eyes still closed tightly. Danny passed his fingers over every inch of skin he could find, caressing her gently while touching her mercilessly. "Sam!" he said again and this time she arched, her back completely leaving the bed. In an instant she had Danny flipped over and was lying on top of him, her eyes buried in the crook of his shoulder.

"Oh, Danny, I—Danny this is just…" She stopped as a chill took her. "Wow, um… God, you're good at that," she finished finally, and swallowed hard. "Oh, Danny…"

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her securely. "My Sam."

She lifted violet eyes to meet with ice blue ones. "Dan, I—" She halted, the words catching in her throat. He smiled and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I love you, Sam."

She visibly relaxed. "I love you, too."

* * *

The next day, thirty-seven people came to school wearing all black. Tucker counted. 

At lunch, it was declared an unscheduled vegetarian menu day. No lunch lady ghost came, and Sam managed to get their old table back. Danny was happy, because it was across the room from Dash.

And it was made quite public that Danny Fenton and Sam Manson were a couple. Surely everyone noticed the hand-holding, the book-carrying, and the quick, familiar kisses between classes. Oh yeah, it was clear. Coincidentally—or not—Tucker was in a very good mood.

Altogether, it was a very ordinary day… which made it all the more surprising when Paulina suddenly screeched and ran from the room during last period. Everyone turned in their seats to look at Sam, especially Tuck and Danny. She was reading a pamphlet on the first Amendment, but looked up when she noticed the stares.

"The axolotl is an aquatic amphibian, which means it only lives in the water. It is also known as one of the most grotesque-looking lizards in the world." She went back to her pamphlet, but smiled. "I think they're cute."

* * *

**The End… Or is it!**

**Oh, what now! I'm sure you all haven't forgotten about that (seemingly) random Vlad moment back in the last chapter. You see, it turns out Mr. Plasmius is up to something again, but I said this is the last chapter. Do you see what this means? Yes, a SEQUEL! **

**"Knight of Darkness" is a darker story, and much longer, but just as good, and there's plenty of DxSfluff to go around. Not to mention, Tucker gets some love. Go Tuck! Check it out peoples, it's already posted and almost finished!**

**Did you all like the axolotl? I agree with Sam; I think they're cute. If you haven't gone to the link I gave last chapter yet, do it.**

**On to review responses! (Review responses for the last chapter will be on the first chapter of the sequel)**

**Rae Valerious:** Yes, all things must come to an end, but lucky for all of you, Ms. Kats inspired me to write a sequel. So you have a bit of time left.

**otakualways:** You thought the crown was "ew"? I thought it was funny. Heh…

**Leonine One 252:** (GASP) You just gave me another great idea! Yes! I love you!

**Bleeding Grey:** I know what you smell… muffins! Mwahaha I like muffins…

**Madelyn Jordan Potter:** Thanks for reviewing! About the HP thing, I'm kind of conflicted. I saw the R/Hr thing happening, and I knew it was coming, but I was in denial. I still don't think it would work between them; they fight _too _much. I always thought H/Hr was the better pairing.

**Kats02980416:** My absolute favorite part to writing chapter 9 was the flirtation between Danny and Sam. Sam was so coming on to him, doing almost the exact things he had done in chapter 2. But Sam had more style to it, I think. The whole shirt-tag thing I got in a dream, actually. And yes, before you ask, I do dream about my fan-fictions. I dream about my original work, too, but that's different…

**Arezal:** Nasty-P is really gross. Nasty-P I hate the most.

**believesinfairies123:** IS THIS SOON ENOUGH?

**sam manson rulez:** Wait no longer, the last chapter is here. Well, to this part, anyway…

**PhantomAL:** Wow, the infamous PhantomAL. I've seen your reviews all over the fandom, and I wondered if you would ever reach my corner of the DP world. Well, as for the cow dung… I needed something Sam wouldn't care about handling.

**The Adversary:** I went to your page, but gosh-darn-it I've never seen InuYasha, and I have no concept of the characters or plotline. I don't want to read your fictions if I can't understand them… Anyway, thanks for your reviews, and I'm really glad you enjoyed this story. I hope you'll be back for the sequel!

_**FLUFF HEALS THE SOUL!**_

**--GS**


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